Europe rocked by riots as lockdowns return
UGLY scenes have erupted across Europe after increasingly harsh Covid restrictions were introduced in a bid to stem a dramatic surge in infections.
Dutch police opened fire on protesters, injuring seven, during ‘an orgy of violence’ in Rotterdam that saw rioters rampage through the city, setting fires and throwing fireworks at officers.
Meanwhile, thousands gathered in the Austrian capital Vienna last night to protest against the introduction of mandatory vaccination from next year and a national lockdown from tomorrow.
Cases have soared in many countries despite almost two years of restrictions. The Netherlands, Austria and the Czech Republic are all experiencing record numbers of infections ahead of winter.
In Italy, weekly demonstrations against strict coronavirus restrictions showed no signs of easing, with demonstrations in Rome, including at the ancient Circus Maximus grounds.
Switzerland saw about 2,000 people protest an upcoming referendum on whether to approve the Covid-19 restrictions law, claiming it was discriminatory.
In Croatia, thousands gathered in the capital Zagreb, carrying Croatian flags and nationalist and religious symbols, along with banners against vaccination and what they describe as restrictions of freedoms.
On Friday, dozens were arrested and a number of police officers were injured amid the violence in Rotterdam. At least one police car was set alight, and another was seen with a bicycle smashed through its windscreen. The city’s mayor, Ahmed Aboutaleb, said:
‘On a number of occasions the police felt it necessary to draw their weapons to defend themselves. They shot at protesters. People were injured.’
The Dutch government introduced a partial lockdown last week and said it plans to limit its coronavirus pass system to people who are fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid, excluding those who test negative.
Thousands of protesters gathered in Vienna on Saturday after the Austrian government announced a nationwide lockdown, expected to last an initial ten days, with vaccinations to become mandatory from February 1. Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg told a public broadcaster that he was ‘sorry to take this drastic step’.
The far-Right opposition Freedom Party was among those calling for protests and vowed to combat the new restrictions, with party leader Herbert Kickl denouncing what he called ‘totalitarian’ measures. Vaccinations have plateaued at one of the lowest rates in western Europe and daily deaths have tripled in recent weeks.
While Austria so far stands alone in the EU in making vaccinations mandatory, more governments are clamping down amid the surge in infections. From tomorrow Slovakia is banning people who have not been vaccinated from all non-essential shops.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is considering mandatory vaccinations for health professionals as the country faces a vaccination rate of just 67.5 per cent.
Greece is also targeting the unvaccinated. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a range of new restrictions for unvaccinated people which limit access to venues including bars and restaurants.
Some 10,000 people gathered in Prague last week to protest against Czech government restrictions on the unvaccinated.